Was Lausanne a Victory or a Defeat?

Abstract In 1965, Kadir Mısıroğlu published a two-volume study of the Lausanne Treaty titled: ‘Was Lausanne a victory or a crushing defeat?’ Despite being a work far from responding to the requirements of historiography, the book was a source of inspiration for the young generation of historians who aimed at reviewing the orthodoxy of Kemalist history and, simultaneously, committed to rediscovering the missed glorious past. The book was also pivotal in shaping the islamist minds with its sophisticated conspiracies but also in building a new image of self and the policy of ‘take back control’ from perceived internal or external enemies. This is also relevant in the 2023 general elections campaigns and in building the ak Parti’s legitimacy. This paper aims to examine the early historical narration by Islamists and how it contributed to the Islamist understanding of history with the example of the Islamist image of İsmet İnönü. To understand how the historical narration has evolved and how their narrative is still influential, the focus will be on three authors: Kısakürek and Mısıroğlu, who are the intellectuals who have contributed the most to the invention of this narrative, and Armağan, who today is continuing it.